More Picks

EPL Picks: Bet the Reds as Liverpool's Defense Will Fight for a Win Against West Ham

The Reds could use some good fortunate, and that's what they'll try to produce for themselves this weekend when they take on West Ham. What's the best route to take with our soccer picks?

Odds Overview
Liverpool is listed as the favorite for this weekend's match at Anfield, but the odds aren't exactly that one-sided, suggesting we should see a highly competitive fixture. After all, West Ham has been playing better of late, so it wouldn't be surprising in the least to see the Hammers push for a plus result.

So, what exactly do the soccer betting odds look like? The Reds are -150 favorites, which means West Ham is priced out as an underdog in the range of +450 to +475.

Liverpool
So the Reds may not have won any of their previous three matches, but they shouldn't be lambasted for it. Despite the results, they just haven't been able to finish on the winning side. The most telling example came their last time in action in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea.

Liverpool fought valiantly at Stamford Bridge, but just couldn't tip the scales enough to earn the necessary result. As such, the Reds have now been eliminated from the cup, but that doesn't mean they don't have anything else to play for - they've still got the top four in their sights Premier League play and they've also got the Europa League and FA Cup to worry about.

It's been a little surreal to see the Steven Gerrard transitional period finally come to fruition. He's not a lock to make the starting XI for each and every one of Liverpool's games anymore - after an emotional, hard-fought tie with Chelsea during the week, it would be a surprise to see Gerrard back amonst the top 11 again this weekend. Instead, look for the captain to act as a super sub, if needed.

West Ham
Though the Hammers are clear-cut underdogs when we look at the top online sportsbooks and their available odds, they should not be taken lightly. Indeed, West Ham has been performing at a very high level of late, having gone unbeaten over their last six matches across all competitions.

Even better, the Hammers have been at their very best more recently. They've outright won each of their last three wins, which came over Everton and Bristol City in the FA Cup and Hull City in league action. Now that Andy Carroll is back and firing again, West Ham has become a lot more dangerous all of a sudden, and the Hammers are going to be fancying their chances against a Liverpool outfit that's been exposed quite a bit this season.

You may remember that both Carroll and Stewart Downing were Liverpool players in the past, so there's definitely history here. Those two are going to be going all out in order to get the better of their old employers. That being said, doing so in face of a tough environment at Anfield is an entirely different story.

Premier League Pick
We don't see a ton of value in any facet of this match, but we do have a small lean on Liverpool. The Reds, despite a lack of great results, have put forth some encouraging performances of late, and the friendly crowd at Anfield always helps the cause too.

In need of a big home win to boost morale, we think Liverpool will be able to fight their way to a result here.

The Hammers have weapons and are going to generate their fair share of goalscoring chances, but Liverpool's defense has looked slightly more resolute of late, and the attack has been more fluid as well. With the fans behind them, we're expecting the Reds to earn a win, and thus we'll recommend backing them with your soccer picks.